[Event] Tour de Worcester Road Race

[ChrisF]

55 minutes ago, Akon said:

Hhhmmm...

Seems slow is relative!

 

And here I was thinking of the "normal" road events with a handfull of racers up front .... and the vast majority being weekend riders having a fun ride ....

[bleedToWin]

7 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I don't know what sort of level 'Cat3' is unfortunately

Yeah, we need better references for these things.

Cat 3 at WP events is normally the slowest group where riding is still organised. Cat 1 is the serious racers, Cat 2 is the "sub-3 argus, but only just" group.

[bleedToWin]

10 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

And here I was thinking of the "normal" road events with a handfull of racers up front .... and the vast majority being weekend riders having a fun ride ....

It's definitely like that. I'm maybe just describing things poorly.

[bleedToWin]

I think the 86km should also have decent entry numbers, but maybe the fact that the 140km passes the finish venue at 86km, and again at 115km could encourage a few to go for the full distance knowing it won't be a long lonely day if something goes wrong...

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, bleedToWin said:

Yeah, we need better references for these things.

Cat 3 at WP events is normally the slowest group where riding is still organised. Cat 1 is the serious racers, Cat 2 is the "sub-3 argus, but only just" group.

Haha! as a Cat 2 rider I am offended 🤣. But yes, Cat 2 is generally similar to the age cat bunches for the CTCT (and maybe 1A)

Cat 3 for the masters and everyone else

[bleedToWin]

6 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

as a Cat 2 rider I am offended 🤣

I had to rewrite my category descriptions a few times after realising no matter how I frase it I come across as pompous! 🙈

If I remember correctly WP historically mapped to PPA seeding (which has largely fallen apart these days) as follows:
Cat 1 - A seeding
Cat 2 - B,C seeding
Cat 3 - D,E,F seeding

[Skubarra]

3 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

I had to rewrite my category descriptions a few times after realising no matter how I frase it I come across as pompous! 🙈

If I remember correctly WP historically mapped to PPA seeding (which has largely fallen apart these days) as follows:
Cat 1 - A seeding
Cat 2 - B,C seeding
Cat 3 - D,E,F seeding

Yes - I think that was the general idea. But I have found Cat 2 rides at the WP league to be generally harder than the B group at PPA races. There are a few riders in Cat 2 who I think would be comfortable mid-bunch in Cat 1 (and would have A seedings with PPA)

[bleedToWin]

35 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Yes - I think that was the general idea. But I have found Cat 2 rides at the WP league to be generally harder than the B group at PPA races. There are a few riders in Cat 2 who I think would be comfortable mid-bunch in Cat 1 (and would have A seedings with PPA)

Especially in recent years with PPA events being poorly supported. Maybe One Tonner the only exception. A lot of cat 1 teams boycott PPA because the seeding is a joke. Then also A-seeding is an index from 0-15 which is quite broad already, but often at a PPA fundride the A-group (custom per event) will go 0-22+

Whether you do seeding or self selection it's hard to get everyone in the groups they belong in!

[Skubarra]

3 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

Especially in recent years with PPA events being poorly supported. Maybe One Tonner the only exception. A lot of cat 1 teams boycott PPA because the seeding is a joke. Then also A-seeding is an index from 0-15 which is quite broad already, but often at a PPA fundride the A-group (custom per event) will go 0-22+

Whether you do seeding or self selection it's hard to get everyone in the groups they belong in!

I agree - the PPA seeding system is very much broken, not really so much the formula but because there are so few events available to seed people properly. Until databases are shared between different timing companies I don't see this improving

[bleedToWin]

But to get back on topic. Tour de Worcester is a great race, and the more people enter the better!

[Skubarra]

12 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

But to get back on topic. Tour de Worcester is a great race, and the more people enter the better!

This race has been on my bucket list for years - had to decline free entries to Fedhealth and Ceder races to pay to do this one in 2023 😄

[Jewbacca]

Before I got sick and nearly dedded last year I would have been WAY more confident signing up, but it's been a grind getting back in the saddle and getting fit the last year and a half, especially at my advanced age..... as my wife calls being in your 40s.

I might give this a skip this year and spend a bit more time in the saddle. I really did enjoy the group and racing aspect of veldriff, despite having my legs torn off.

Meh.... confidence is a strange thing

[APJ88]

I am keen, just not for Cat 1, I have PPA - A seeding, but don't feel like A at the moment. Keen to do the 140k Open Cat, with hopefully many other Cat2s, but not if there will only be 30 guys in the bunch....

[bleedToWin]

8 minutes ago, APJ88 said:

I am keen, just not for Cat 1, I have PPA - A seeding, but don't feel like A at the moment. Keen to do the 140k Open Cat, with hopefully many other Cat2s, but not if there will only be 30 guys in the bunch....

I'm sure there will be at least two bunches, so wont have to start with the cat 1 guys.

[bleedToWin]

Current weather predictions say the rain is shifting away.

Edited September 5, 2023 by bleedToWin

[Jbr]

58 minutes ago, bleedToWin said:

Current weather predictions say the rain is shifting away.

If it doesn't, I'm emptying the tank at the crit and staying in bed the sunday ! Last thing I want is 4x5mins in the mud on my new road bike 🤣